Whereismyhat
New Member
I just pulled my dead submersible well pump. The new one is coming in a week or so. In the down time, I got to ponder the reason for my pump failure. I was wondering if it could have been due to sediment build up. It's been over 20 years so it could as equally be age....
My water has always come out clear and free of sediment, even the the very last moment before the pump died. However, after pulling it up, I noticed a small film of dark greyish mud caking over the side of the pump.
The PVC drop pipe was for the most part very clean minus the brown iron staining on the outside of the pvc submerged below the water. It was installed with a two check valves, one about 10 feet above the pump and one about 30 feet below the pitless adapter. Total length of drop pipe is 180 feet. I think water level is 150 (depth I need to measure). As we were cutting away the pvc as we pulled, the water on the inside that was released from the check valves was completely clear.
Interestingly, when the pump was finally pulled out and set on the ground, the discharge head broke off. It was then I noticed the white chalk on the inside. One of the blades (circled in red) was a quarter way full of the chalk in a paste like consistency. I was wondering is this is something I need to be concerned with. I have seem some of the forum posts describe how some sediment is removed using an airlift pump. In my case, I am wondering if it's more trouble than its worth. One company I called to get a quote said that I shouldn't even consider it since it could cause a collapse at the bottom of my well.
Do I need to clean it out? or is this what I should have expected for a pump of this age?
My water has always come out clear and free of sediment, even the the very last moment before the pump died. However, after pulling it up, I noticed a small film of dark greyish mud caking over the side of the pump.
The PVC drop pipe was for the most part very clean minus the brown iron staining on the outside of the pvc submerged below the water. It was installed with a two check valves, one about 10 feet above the pump and one about 30 feet below the pitless adapter. Total length of drop pipe is 180 feet. I think water level is 150 (depth I need to measure). As we were cutting away the pvc as we pulled, the water on the inside that was released from the check valves was completely clear.
Interestingly, when the pump was finally pulled out and set on the ground, the discharge head broke off. It was then I noticed the white chalk on the inside. One of the blades (circled in red) was a quarter way full of the chalk in a paste like consistency. I was wondering is this is something I need to be concerned with. I have seem some of the forum posts describe how some sediment is removed using an airlift pump. In my case, I am wondering if it's more trouble than its worth. One company I called to get a quote said that I shouldn't even consider it since it could cause a collapse at the bottom of my well.
Do I need to clean it out? or is this what I should have expected for a pump of this age?
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